THE toll from fierce fighting in Baghdads Sadr City has risen to at least 200 dead and more than 1,000 injured, according to doctors in the besieged suburb.

US and Iraqi troops killed at least 13 gunmen in heavy fighting there yesterday against the Mahdi Army loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

The reports from Sadr City hospitals suggest far higher casualty figures than previously reported, although they cannot be independently verified. Dr Qassem Mudalal, the director of the Imam Ali hospital, said: There are 230 killed, I can confirm, in the hospitals of Sadr City. Ive been living in the hospital for two weeks.

I cant leave because of the siege and its too dangerous to be on the streets because of snipers and bombs.

He said most had died from shrapnel wounds. Other doctors claimed only a minority of the dead appeared to be militants.

The Iraqi government yesterday briefly lifted a blockade of the suburb, and allowed about 20 lorries loaded with food, blankets and medical supplies to enter the area.

An American convoy was struck by at least 10 roadside bombs while moving in to support Iraqi soldiers setting up a checkpoint in the west of the city, the US military reported.

There was no sign of a cessation of hostilities between al-Sadr and Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister. Children, women and old men have been injured and killed and there are no ambulances, said Um Ali, a housewife, by telephone from her home in Sadr City. The hospitals have no first-aid supplies and there are so few doctors.

The MSM has been far more egregious than normal in misreporting these evnts. The SF Chronical reported a “shower of missiles” from the terrorists raining down onto the green Zone, with complete routing of the Iraqi forces, and then a cease fire called by Mookie. Utter nonsense, and completely irresponsibe reporting.

The fact is that Mookie issued the Hudna because his forces have had their asses kicked for over two weeks, and we said “no thanks” and kept attacking THEM. That's the way to win a war.

14
posted on 04/12/2008 5:07:42 PM PDT
by Mad_Tom_Rackham
("The land of the Free...Because of the Brave")

The MSM has been far more egregious than normal in misreporting these evnts. The SF Chronical reported a shower of missiles from the terrorists raining down onto the green Zone, with complete routing of the Iraqi forces, and then a cease fire called by Mookie. Utter nonsense, and completely irresponsibe reporting. The fact is that Mookie issued the Hudna because his forces have had their asses kicked for over two weeks, and we said no thanks and kept attacking THEM

Excellent post but I thought I could make it a bit shorter as written from the view point of Fat Boy Sadr. "I am losing my ass. Can we have a cease fire? What do you mean no? I am losing my ass damn it! Please pick up the phone, we need to talk, please."

Well at least my blabbing the past two years about cordoning off Sadr City is finally coming around. No one leaves, no one enters, except for medical aid and food at the discretion of the Iraqi/US forces. As larger numbers of Sunni and Shia are accepted into the police and military ranks, and given equal treatment, the militias will become less desirable. It would appear that the Maliki government cannot now step back from their commitment to disband the militias. If it is a bloody period, so be it. Iraq needs it to be done. I might add, Maliki needs a Baghdad Bob at this point to start preaching sense to the Iraqi citizenry. Talk sense like all Iraqi banding together to finally rid their country of AQI and associated radical Islamic groups that have proven over the past few years to be the ones that bring death to all Iraqi if they do not submit. A fair playing field must be stressed over a period of time followed up with money and help by the central government to continue rebuilding the country's infrastructure. And a well spoken Baghdad Bob could help such a movement. And dare I say and am willing to be corrected if off base, Iraq has a potential to become not only a world producer of oil, but can also become a major refinery center, exporting may oil fractions, gasoline as well as a major source of petrochemicals, as well as with the blessing of the two large and less river systems that provide the fertile mid and south with good farming land, a major agricultural center where they can export to neighboring countries. And perhaps a major mineral producer. Some time back I had ventured thoughts regarding the potential for Iraq to enter the light industrial lane. There is no reason why they cannot set up factory centers with modern environmental process to make their own tools, light manufacturing along many lines, the list is very long as to what they could use with oil subsidies to build a industrial state and train and employ their peoples to actually go to work each day, see they have worth, and not go around shooting each other in the ass based on ancient ideas that have no place in the modern world. The Arab world almost exclusively has been held in a tight grip of doing nothing. They don't know how to do things in many disciplines simply because they have not had to work for them selves. The Socialist Marxist states that have been set up breed lazy do nothings that only have idle time to piss and moan how much the Jews have ruined them etc.. Put the clowns to work on constructive things. Let them feel the worth of making things work, improving on those things sorely needing improving in their country. Only a strong minded government that can start to preach in this direction will truly pull them out of their long nightmare. They simply have to many things that could go good for them if they where to play their cards right. They need leadership with vision as well as the balls to start to get fire side chats started. A government cannot live within a vacuum.

It’ll happen real soon. Just google images of any Iraqi city, and they’re modernizing as soon as their cash flow allows them.

It must be gnashing hell to be an Iranian, looking over the border at what your culture has ridiculed as backward Mesopotamian idiots now enjoying the economic, political and cultural freedoms that Iranians are denied.

Agree 100 %. We have done enough. Lets declare victory, We won. If were not going to take the oil, What is the interest to America who sells it to us? A-Q has had its ass kicked, No there not going to stop, but every day another one is borne. How long do we do this?

41
posted on 04/12/2008 6:41:32 PM PDT
by reefdiver
(The sheriff of Nottingham collected taxes on behalf of the common good)

"Iran, youre next - if you want to be." And it will come to past. The Mullahs just had better hope all their monies are not stripped from them, and safe haven in Switzerland is denied them. I feel it in my bones. And the millions of decent Iranian citizens shall rejoice.

Doesn’t seem like relieving Iran of the Mullahcracy will be as bloody as Iraq was.

We have set the banks againt them, which is the only thing they fear - kinks in the cash flow. They’ll take refuge on some Dubai island somewhere. Once they’re flushed out, the Iranian people most likely will keep them repelled as there is an amazing amount of capital waiting to gush into a free Iran.

I buy your estimates of hopefully near future events in this land. Not just from false hope but grounded on things we see coming to past. The peoples are fed up with these murders and dictators. They really boil down to that description without any defense. Nighty nite.

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